1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to controlled-access video reception. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a method of providing controlled-access information and a video receiving apparatus to use the same, in which the controlled-access information is displayed when selecting a controlled-access channel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video receiving apparatuses receive broadcast signals supplied from broadcast providers via antennas and display video corresponding to the received broadcast signals. Video receiving apparatuses are typically used with set-top boxes and TVs.
Broadcast providers have introduced a subscription model to existing television (TV) terrestrial broadcast services, which have historically depended primarily on advertising revenue, limiting program access to only subscribers who pay a service fee corresponding to controlled-access broadcast signals. Accordingly, video receiving apparatuses include systems that perform conditional access services to display video corresponding to controlled-access broadcast signals.
A Conditional Access System (CAS) provides the conditional limited reception so that only an authorized subscriber can descramble a received signal to view a program scrambled and transmitted by a broadcast provider.
Recently, smart cards with unique personal information regarding subscribers have been incorporated in video receiving apparatuses including CASs, taking into consideration taxation, convenience, stability or the like, and thus video corresponding to controlled-access broadcast signals have become widespread using password keys provided by smart cards.
In conventional video receiving apparatuses, if a user selects a controlled-access channel, a coded broadcast signal may be decoded and video corresponding to the broadcast signal may be displayed only when viewing access to the selected channel is granted to a user with a smart card. On the other hand, when viewing access to the selected channel is not granted to a user with a mounted smart card, a terse message indicating this situation may be displayed. For example, abnormal video and/or a message stating that “Viewing is impossible” may be displayed.
Accordingly, when it is impossible to view video, a user is unable to know the reason why, and it is thus difficult to know what measures to take in order to view the video, thus causing user inconvenience.
When various broadcast providers provide broadcast signals using two or more CASs, a video receiving apparatus has to include two or more CASs to display video corresponding to each of the controlled-access broadcast signals.
In this situation, if the number of slots capable of mounting smart cards is less than the number of CASs, a smart card for the desired channel cannot be mounted. Accordingly, there is a need to mount a smart card suitable to access more than one controlled-access channel provided by more than one broadcaster.